Ring Power's Fluids Analysis Lab (a.k.a. “Oil Lab”) is one of the best in the nation.

Located in Tampa’s main service building, it houses about $1 million worth of high-tech diagnostic equipment and computer software and is staffed by a dedicated team of oil lab technicians ― five in Tampa and one in St. Augustine ― who process anywhere from 400 to 500 fluid samples each and every day!

Taking samples of oil, fuel and coolant to diagnose a machine’s operating condition is a good way to prevent component failures and unplanned downtime. Much like conducting biometric screenings to diagnose a person’s state of health, analyzing fluids is an accurate, reliable way to detect and resolve potential problems before they become major issues.

But putting 60+ samples an hour through a battery of sophisticated chemical tests without mixing them up is, by itself, no small feat.

Each fluid sample undergoes five tests ― depending on the fluid type and the preliminary results, some might require seven ― to check for viscosity, contaminants and wear metals. Think about that for a minute: That means our oil lab technicians must conduct and record the results for anywhere from 300 to 400 or more chemical tests every hour.

Add to that the extreme care that must be taken to ensure the validity of the test results ― measuring precisely, calibrating the equipment, following set procedures, keeping accurate records ― and you’ve got a real challenge.

Fortunately, our oil lab technicians are up to it.

Their days begin at 5:30 a.m., when Dennis Buckner brings in the sample bottles and sorts them by machine and fluid type. By 6:00, Sheri Delgado is hard at work, entering each sample into the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) database according to the tests it requires while Alice Martinez begins checking and calibrating the equipment, monitoring the operating procedures, and verifying the data entries. By 6:30, Amelia Cullen and Travis Veitch are running the samples through the gamut of chemical tests and by 8:00, Eileen Garcia is at her computer in WCC, evaluating and interpreting the new data, comparing it with established baselines and previous results to look for trends.

Working in the oil lab takes commitment, integrity and ― above all else ― teamwork.

A basic knowledge of engines, hydraulics, transmissions and power trains is also helpful. Our oil lab team keeps up on equipment technology via online studies; Eileen, who interprets the test data, and Sheri, who backs up Eileen, must be recertified by Caterpillar every two years for this important job.

We applaud our team of topnotch oil lab technicians for their commitment to excellence. In March, they processed 10,638 oil samples, setting a new record and putting them on track to beat last year’s total. It’s easy to see why Ring Power has been at the forefront for fluids analysis since 1974.

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As a youth, Tony Raynor’s father told him to go to college and not make a career out of the Orlando landscaping and irrigation business that his dad founded in 1975.

But blessed with a green thumb and passion for the work, Tony eschewed a college education and stayed in the family landscaping business. Then, six years after his dad’s passing in 1991, Tony decided to follow in his father’s entrepreneurial footsteps by specializing in tree service, site clearing and storm recovery.

At the outset, the tree service consisted of Tony and wife, Tami, working with a Chevy van and U-Haul trailer.

“We started off very humble and small,” Raynor recalls. “I climbed the trees and Tami worked with me dragging the limbs. After doing 22 named storms and traveling around the country, we decided to put our roots down deep here in central Florida.”

As the Orlando tree service and landclearing business grew, so did the amount of wood chips and tree debris. Tony got tired of wasting natural products that could be recycled and put back into use in the environment. So Raynor Shine started its first wood recycling yard and processing its own material in 2009.

A full-service sustainable recycling company processes organic vegetative debris from landclearing, tree and landscape companies as well as yard waste from municipalities. Raynor Shine’s RSRS division hauls debris with large grapple trucks to one of nine recycling facilities in central Florida.

“With our large grapple trucks we are able to haul larger amounts of debris at one time, which leaves a smaller carbon footprint on the environment and saves money,” Tony says.

Having grown to just over 100 employees, Raynor Shine has successfully completed many large debris and hauling contracts, handling millions of cubic yards of debris. The company serves the I-4 corridor from Daytona Beach to Tampa. Some of the company’s larger clients include Swan, Dolphin and Marriott Resorts. It also contracts with municipalities to handle huge volumes of yard waste.

“We’re also geared up for hurricanes being situated here in central Florida,” Tony says. “When hurricanes hit we’re ready to get right out there and help support any municipality that needs to get back on their feet.”

The clever company name tends to draw favorable comments from customers. Plus, it neatly encapsulates Raynor Shine’s mission in two words.

“Our goal is to shine for our customers, so that was the theme behind the name that my father and grandfather came up with,” Tony says. “Plus, when it rains we talk about that, too. We tend to get the job done either way.”

Integrated approach

Raynor Shine provides clients with the most practical and environmentally friendly methods of recycling. Everything is recycled, reduced, and re-used. The company manufactures premium colored mulch products and soil amendments.

Raynor Shine has four divisions, including a grapple division that collects trees, limbs and organic material, a transport division for hauling, a processing division that grinds the organic material into mulch, and a blowing division that delivers and spreads mulch at residential and commercial sites. The company has nine processing yards throughout central Florida, with Apopka just outside Orlando as the largest facility.

“We take that same material that we collect or that’s dumped at our facility and we reprocess it into a reusable product,” Tony says. “We make high quality mulches for our blower trucks. We’ll deliver it in bulk, or we’ll go out there with our truck and our whole fleet of express blowers that are able to blow up to 1000 feet away from the truck.”

Cat® equipment is at the heart of Raynor Shine’s operation. Every grinder has a Cat powered engine, as do many of the blower trucks. At its main yard in Ocoee, the company utilizes a Cat 950M Wheel Loader, and a 324E Cat Hydraulic Excavator. Altogether, Raynor Shine has nine pieces of Cat equipment, along with three CT660 on-highway trucks—two of which are configured in tractor form and pull-100 yard mulch trailers.

“My operators enjoy running the Cat equipment,” Tony says. “The 950M Wheel Loader with its cab guarding package is a mean looking machine. And when you’re feeding material to a grinder with a loader, the support that you have to give a 1200 horsepower grinder, you better be mean and lean, and the Cat wheel loader definitely is a powerful machine.”

The latest configuration of the Cat 950M has wider, lower profile tires along with auto diff lock—two new features that Raynor Shine’s operators appreciate for greater stability and traction.

One of the biggest challenges in Raynor Shine’s business is physical damage to the equipment, says operations manager Edward Lee.

“We’re dealing with logs and brush, and it has a tendency to stab and jab all over the machine, resulting in broken windshields, torn off fenders, cut hydraulic lines, and bent belly pans,” Lee says. “So, the robustness of the machine and the guarding package are big things for us.”

All of the 950M Wheel Loaders have variable pitch fans and front window guards. The most recent wheel loader purchased by Raynor Shine is outfitted with heavy-duty steps borrowed from the waste-handling package for the 950M.

Raynor Shine depends on its Cat equipment to be up and running at all times, and enjoys uptime in the mid-90s.

“Cat machines are reliable, robust equipment that we love working with, and the uptime has exceeded our expectations,” Tony says. “The attachments that we use with them enhance their capabilities. And we like the fuel efficiency of the Tier 4 machines.”

Dedicated support

Raynor selected Cat equipment because it’s a strong brand that enjoys a worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

“We love that we have total support from our Cat dealer, Ring Power,” Tony says. “They have such a large team of technicians in the field, and when we need a part they’re quick to deliver it. The majority of the time they have it on the shelf, and if they don’t they have it the next day. Their support team is phenomenal.”

Adds Lee: “Cat machines are premium products, and the service is extraordinary. Ring Power has a lot of depth to be able to respond to equipment issues in the field. Basically, it’s about maximizing uptime, and what Ring Power brings to the table is the size, depth, and capacity to respond in timely fashion to maintain and repair equipment.”

Tony appreciates the ease of acquiring equipment through Cat Financial.

“Caterpillar has been a strong vendor to us in every respect, and they stand behind us, financially,” he says. “They’ve been a great partner to us in that regard.”

Raynor also appreciates the dedicated sales support he has received over the years from his Ring Power representative, Scott Starkweather.

“Even before our company grew, he was showing me every different thing that was available to help us grow our company,” Tony says. “Even when we were a small company and had only a few pieces of equipment, he still took the time to bring ideas to me and keep me informed about new equipment that was coming on the market.”

Raynor Shine has a preventive maintenance agreement with Ring Power, which provides regular maintenance on all of the company’s Cat equipment.

“To not have to handle or deal with maintaining equipment at our various locations has definitely given us time to just keep focusing on what we do best,” Tony says. “Having that partnership with a solid dealer like Ring has made a big difference and helped us with our growth.

“For any company, at the end of the day you’re only as strong as the support that you have,” Tony adds. “They get us what we need when we need it—they keep us rolling. And if it wasn’t for that relationship, I don’t think we’d be as successful as we are today. So we strongly recommend Cat equipment for anybody.”

When Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast last month, it brought devastation to millions of families who now face the daunting task of recovering from the aftermath.

Ring Power Corporation continues to work closely with other Cat® dealers in mobilizing equipment, personnel and other resources to help the affected areas.

When facing a crisis, every second counts and it may be difficult to use your “normal” procurement methods or go through the typical procurement cycle.

Caterpillar’s national-competitively bid cooperative contracts allow you to get the equipment you need, while ensuring procurement rules are met.

You can count on Ring Power’s Governmental Division for your immediate equipment needs. Ring Power can facilitate clean-up using debris removal, utility and power generation equipment in a timely manner; ensuring your procurement rules are being met, and allowing you to focus on dealing with the disaster at hand.